[SFDXA] The ARRL Letter for October 20, 2016

Fri Oct 21 16:39:54 EDT 2016

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The ARRL Letter

October 20, 2016
Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME <mailto:ww1me at arrl.org>
ARRL Home Page <http://www.arrl.org/> 	
	/ARRL Letter/ Archive <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/> 	
	Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>

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  * Regulatory Issues Top ARRL Executive Committee Agenda <#toc01>
  * Bidding Kicks off on October 21 in Annual ARRL On-Line Auction <#toc02>
  * MARS-Amateur Radio Interoperability Exercise to Test "Very Bad Day"
    Scenario <#toc03>
  * IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Covers Wide Range of
    Topics <#toc04>
  * The Doctor Will See You Now! <#toc05>
  * National Parks on the Air Update <#toc06>
  * IARU Honors Past ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD <#toc07>
  * Complete Sweepstakes Records Now Available, /Operating Guide/
    Updated <#toc08>
  * Time to File Your JOTA Station Report <#toc09>
  * ARES/RACES Featured at Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference
    <#toc10>
  * Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, HS1A, SK <#toc11>
  * Getting It Right! <#toc12>
  * In Brief... <#toc13>
  * The K7RA Solar Update <#toc14>
  * Just Ahead in Radiosport <#toc15>
  * Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions <#toc16>

Regulatory Issues Top ARRL Executive Committee Agenda

FCC and regulatory matters will fill the lion's share of the agenda when 
the ARRL Executive Committee (EC) meets on October 22 in Chicago. 
Topping the list of action items is a review of enforcement strategies 
-- a follow-on to discussions during the July 2015 meeting of the ARRL 
Board of Directors. This would include "ongoing consideration of revised 
plans and strategies for improved Amateur Radio enforcement, and actions 
to implement these." It also would address revisions to the ARRL 
Official Observer program.

The EC also will review the status of -- and comments filed on -- the 
ARRL /Petition for Rule Making/ (RM 11759 
<https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/60001374190>) to the FCC, seeking 
changes in the 80- and 75-meter RTTY/data and phone/image subbands and 
to restore 80-meter privileges for certain license classes, among other 
changes in those bands. The /Petition/ was filed in January.

In addition, the Committee will discuss comments filed in response to 
its request to the FCC to delete restrictions on symbol rates for data 
communication and the establishment of a 2.8 kHz maximum occupied 
bandwidth for data emissions below 29.7 MHz.

The FCC's April 2016 /Report and Order, Order, and Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking /(/R&O/NPRM/ 
<https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-50A1_Rcd.pdf>) in 
ET Docket 15-99 also will be up for discussion. The FCC has yet to 
approve operational rules for the 2200- and 630-meter bands and 
finalizing the allocation of the 2200-meter band. The /R&O/NPRM /raised 
several questions regarding how Amateur Radio might coexist with PLC 
systems used to control the power grid.

The Committee also will hear updates on various regulatory items 
affecting Amateur Radio. Some of the FCC proceedings date back 3 years 
or more.

In legislative matters, among other issues, the EC will hear a report on 
the status of H.R. 1301 -- the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 -- with 
a focus on strategies to gain approval for the proposed legislation in 
the US Senate during the so-called "lame duck" session of Congress 
following the elections in November. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/regulatory-issues-top-arrl-executive-committee-agenda>.

Bidding Kicks off on October 21 in Annual ARRL On-Line Auction

Bidding in the 11th annual ARRL On-Line Auction 
<http://arrl.auctionanything.com/> begins on October 21 at 1400 UTC, and 
the auction will continue through October 27. During the past week, 
prospective participants have been able to view the nearly 300 items up 
for bid. Those planning to take part must register. Participants in past 
ARRL On-Line Auction events may use their previous log-in information.

Items on the block this year include /QST/ "Product Review" gear -- 
already ARRL Lab-tested -- vintage books and publications, previously 
owned gear, one-of-a-kind finds, "Last Man Standing" TV series (starring 
Tim Allen, KK6OTD) items, and five of the ever-popular "mystery boxes" 
from the ARRL Lab team.

Some of the premier items up for bid from the /QST/ "Product Review" 
inventory include the Icom IC-7851 HF+6 meter transceiver, the Elecraft 
K3S HF+6 meter transceiver, the Yaesu FTM-400DR 144/430 MHz transceiver, 
and the Ameritron ALS-1306 HF+6 meter 1,200 W solid-state amplifier.

*This Collins S Line is among the items on the block at the 2016 ARRL 
On-Line Auction.*

Among the book offerings are /Radio Stations of the World/, a special 
1942 defense edition of /The Radio Amateur's Handbook/ -- as well as 
many other vintage /Handbook/ editions, plus /In Marconi's Footsteps -- 
Early Radio/, and /Maver's Wireless Telegraph: Theory and Practice/.

Proceeds from the yearly On-Line Auction benefit ARRL education initiatives.

The auction site only accepts Visa and MasterCard. /Each auction item 
has its own closing time. /Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/2016-arrl-on-line-auction-preview-is-under-way-bidding-kicks-off-on-october-21>.

MARS-Amateur Radio Interoperability Exercise to Test "Very Bad Day" Scenario

>From October 30 through November 1, members of the Military Auxiliary 
Radio System (MARS) will conduct a quarterly US Department of Defense 
(DOD) Contingency Communications Exercise (COMMEX). The quarterly 
exercise will offer training on the ability to provide communications 
following a "very bad day" scenario, when traditional forms of 
communications will likely be unavailable, Army MARS Program Manager 
Paul English, WD8DBY, said. The exercise will involve interoperability 
between MARS and Amateur Radio participants and is open to all members 
of the amateur community.

"While the simultaneous loss of all communications nationwide is not 
likely, we are assuming there has been a massive nationwide outage, for 
training purposes," English said. "One objective of the exercise is to 
continue the partnership with the Amateur Radio community to help 
provide information about local conditions." Information gathered will 
be forwarded to the DOD to provide a better picture of what is happening 
around the country, he said.

"During this exercise, we will use 60 meters, local VHF and UHF 
repeaters, and HF NVIS [near-vertical incidence skywave] Amateur Radio 
bands," English explained. "Our goal is to have a conversation about the 
local conditions in and around your county. During the conversation, our 
operators will be asking basic questions, such as the status of 
commercial power, public water systems, and road conditions. These will 
be person-to-person conversations; you don't need to use any digital 
modes or know any special messaging formats."

To kick off this exercise, MARS is encouraging the Amateur Radio 
community to monitor 5,330.5 kHz from 0300-0400 UTC on October 31, when 
MARS will conduct high-power voice broadcasts, alternating between 
military stations on the East Coast and West Coast. MARS wants Amateur 
Radio operators to submit reception reports.

For the remainder of the exercise, MARS personnel will be calling for 
Amateur Radio operators on the five 60-meter channels as well as on 
established Amateur Radio nets on HF and on VHF/UHF repeaters.

Contact <mailto:mars.exercises at gmail.com> MARS with questions about this 
exercise. Registration 
<https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4300481724544982273> for the 
October 25 webinar, "Overview of Army and Air Force MARS," remains open.

IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Covers Wide Range of Topics

The second IARU Region 2 (IARU-R2 <http://www.iaru-r2.org/>) Emergency 
Communications Workshop 
<http://www.iaru-r2.org/emergency-communications-workshop-2/> on October 
11 focused on international issues facing Amateur Radio in emergencies 
and disasters. ARRL and IARU Region 2 sponsored the workshop, held in 
Viña del Mar, Chile, in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 General 
Assembly <http://chile2016.info/en/>. ARRL Emergency Preparedness 
Manager and IARU Area B Emergency Coordinator Mike Corey, KI1U, and IARU 
Region 2 Emergency Coordinator Dr. Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P, co-chaired 
the event. Presentation topics reiterated and expanded upon themes 
discussed at the first Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop, held 
in Mexico in 2013, and raised some new issues. Attendees came from the 
US and a dozen other countries, some outside Region 2.

*Andre Hansen, K6AH, presents on the use of **AREDN* 
<http://www.aredn.org/>*during disasters*

Workshop speakers represented national societies and organizations with 
an international scope, including the Federación Mexicana de 
Radioexperimentadores (FMRE <http://www.fmre.org.mx/>), the Salvation 
Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN <http://www.satern.org/>), the 
International Telecommunication Union (ITU <https://www.itu.int/>), the 
Radio Club de Chile (RCC <http://www.radioclubdechile.cl/>), Amateur 
Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN <http://www.aredn.org/>), and the 
Radio Club Venezolano (RCV <http://yv5rcv.org/>).

Topics covered the use of /Winlink/ <http://www.winlink.org/>, SATERN 
<http://www.satern.org/> support for Salvation Army disaster response, 
the role of ITU, developing operator and communication skills, AREDN 
mesh networking technology for disaster response, and emergency 
communication response in Venezuela.

Among the workshop's conclusions:

  *

    There continues to be a need for greater public education on the
    value of Amateur Radio. Specific ideas discussed included
    availability of print material and a social media presence for IARU
    Region 2 emergency activities.

  *

    Events such as the Nepal and Ecuador earthquakes and the Philippines
    typhoon demonstrated the need for cached Amateur Radio equipment
    that can be deployed to support emergency communication activities.

  *

    The availability of platforms such as Google /Hangout/, /Skype/, and
    similar virtual meeting programs make it possible to connect those
    in IARU Region 2 involved with Amateur Radio emergency communications.

*IARU Region 2 Area D Director Marco Gudiel, TG9AGD, asks a question 
during the **ITU* <https://www.itu.int/>*presentation.*

  * Exercises such as /Cascadia Rising/
    <http://www.fema.gov/CascadiaRising2016> and /Pacific Endeavor/
    <http://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/922056/pacific-endeavor-exercise-tests-new-communications-capability>
    and events such as the Nepal and Ecuador earthquakes and Hurricane
    Matthew demonstrate the unique ability of radio amateurs to work
    together across political boundaries.

  *

    Traditional modes of Amateur Radio communication, such as voice and
    CW, are vital to the ability to provide emergency communication in
    IARU Region 2. The development of operator skills through on-air
    activity and continued training...and wide use of new technologies
    and improved health-and-welfare messaging are encouraged.

  *

    Work should continue on the /IARU Emergency Telecommunications
    Guide/
    <http://www.iaru.org/emergency-telecommunications-guide.html>,//ensuring
    that it is relevant and useful to radio amateurs through regular
    updates and improvements.

IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinators will explore the possibility of an 
online emergency communication resource library, available to IARU 
Region 2 member societies and Amateur Radio emergency communication 
participants.

Direct comments and questions to Mike Corey, KI1U <mailto:ki1u at arrl.org> 
(English) or to Dr. Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P <mailto:psantos56 at yahoo.com> 
(Español). Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/iaru-region-2-emergency-communications-workshop-covers-wide-range-of-topics>.

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The Doctor Will See You Now!

"HF Mobile Antennas" is the topic of the latest (October 20) episode of 
the "ARRL The Doctor is In <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>" podcast. 
Listen...and learn!

Sponsored by DX Engineering <http://www.dxengineering.com/>, "ARRL The 
Doctor is In" is an informative discussion of all things technical. 
Listen on your computer, tablet, or smartphone -- whenever and wherever 
you like!

Every 2 weeks, your host, /QST/ Editor in Chief Steve Ford, WB8IMY, and 
the Doctor himself, Joel Hallas, W1ZR, will discuss a broad range of 
technical topics. You can also e-mail your questions to doctor at arrl.org 
<mailto:doctor at arrl.org>, and the Doctor may answer them in a future 
podcast.

Enjoy "ARRL The Doctor is In" on Apple iTunes 
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arrl-the-doctor-is-in/id1096749595?mt=2>, 
or by using your iPhone or iPad podcast app (just search for "ARRL The 
Doctor is In"). You can also listen online at Blubrry 
<https://www.blubrry.com/arrl_the_doctor_is_in/>, or at Stitcher 
<https://www.stitcher.com/> (free registration required, or browse the 
site as a guest) and through the free Stitcher app for iOS, Kindle, or 
Android devices.

If you've never listened to a podcast before, download our beginner's 
guide <http://www.arrl.org/doctor>.

National Parks on the Air Update

On October 19, the log from the 14,000th National Parks on the Air 
(NPOTA <https://npota.arrl.org/>) activation was uploaded to LoTW. It 
also put the ARRL program just shy of 750,000 contacts made from NPS 
units in 2016. With a little more than 2 months to go, the NPOTA 
community is abuzz with the possibility of breaking the 1 million QSO mark.

NPOTA is the biggest operating event on the amateur bands this year. 
Tens of thousands of participants worldwide have gotten involved in 
NPOTA, learning a lot about the National Park Service and the country 
and history it preserves. There's still time to join in on the fun!

Twenty-four activations are on tap for October 20-26, including the 
first-ever activation of Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site in 
Pennsylvania, and Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico.

Details <https://npota.arrl.org/nps-events.php> about these and other 
upcoming activations can be found on the NPOTA Activations calendar. 
Keep up with the latest NPOTA news on Facebook 
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/NPOTA/>. Follow NPOTA on Twitter 
<http://www.twitter.com/> (@ARRL_NPOTA).

IARU Honors Past ARRL President Rod Stafford, W6ROD

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU <http://www.iaru.org>) has 
honored past ARRL President and outgoing IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, 
W6ROD (ex-KB6ZV), with the Michael Owen, VK3KI, Memorial Award. 
Presenting the award plaque on the opening day of the IARU Region 2 
General Assembly in Viña del Mar, Chile, was IARU President Tim Ellam, 
VE6SH/G4HUA. The award's namesake served asIARU Region 3 
<http://www.iaru-r3.org/> chair and as President of the Wireless 
Institute of Australia (WIA <http://www.wia.org.au/>). Although Stafford 
is stepping down as IARU Secretary, he will continue to represent the 
IARU to the ITU <https://www.itu.int/> Development Sector.

*Outgoing IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, receives the Michael J. 
Owen, VK3KI, Memorial Award plaque from IARU President Tim Ellam, 
VE6SH/G4HUA.*

The Owen Award is bestowed upon an individual with "an outstanding 
trajectory of service to Amateur Radio," IARU Region 2 said, in 
announcing Stafford as the award's recipient.

Stafford's service to organized Amateur Radio began as ARRL Santa Clara 
Valley Section Manager from 1983 until 1986, when he took office as ARRL 
Pacific Division Director. He served in that post until 1990, when he 
became an ARRL Vice President. In 1992, the ARRL Board elected him to be 
First Vice President, and in 1995, he succeeded George Wilson, W4OYI 
(SK), as the 12th ARRL President, after Wilson suffered a stroke. He was 
ARRL President until 2000. Stafford served in several IARU Region 2 
capacities and has been IARU Secretary since 2009.

The ARRL Board has appointed former ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, to 
succeed Stafford as IARU Secretary, a post he has held previously.

Complete Sweepstakes Records Now Available, /Operating Guide/ Updated

Complete sets of ARRL November Sweepstakes 
<http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes> (SS) records 
<http://www.arrl.org/contest-records> for both modes are now available, 
thanks to the efforts of Trey Garlough, N5KO, and SS Manager Larry 
Hammel, K5OT. Records are sortable by category, ARRL Division, and ARRL 
Section. A complete list of winners by category -- extending back to the 
first Sweepstakes in 1930 -- also is provided. For statistics fans, the 
number of logs submitted each year and a cross-reference of call signs 
are also available.

"This is some nice work!" said ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, 
W9JJ. "Is there a record in your location or favorite category that 
might be within reach this year?"

The SS CW event takes place over the first full weekend in November -- 
this year, November 5-7. The SS phone takes place over the third full 
weekend in November -- this year, November 19-21. Sweepstakes begins at 
2100 UTC on Saturday and continues through 0259 UTC on Monday.

In addition, Hammel has updated the /Operating Guide/ package that 
explains how to participate in Sweepstakes, including all rules and 
examples of log formatting, The /Operating Guide/ is available for 
download <http://www.arrl.org/sweepstakes>. Jahnke said clubs or public 
service teams thinking about giving Sweepstakes a try this fall will 
find the guide a useful information source.

A new system for submitting club eligibility lists has been under test 
and is available online <http://contest-clubs.arrl.org>. The deadline to 
submit an eligibility list is now the start of each contest -- November 
5 at 2100 UTC, in the case of the CW Sweepstakes.

Direct <mailto:w9jj at arrl.org> questions to ARRL Contest Branch Manager 
Bart Jahnke, W9JJ. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/complete-sweepstakes-records-now-available-operating-guide-updated>.

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Time to File Your JOTA Station Report

Now that Jamboree On The Air (JOTA 
<http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota>) 2016 is history, the Boy 
Scouts are urging participants to file a JOTA Station Report 
<http://www.k2bsa.net/jota-station-report/> in order to determine how 
things went.

*ARRL Member Bob Greenberg, W2CYK -- the creator of RFinder -- 
demonstrates Amateur Radio to Webelos Scouts during JOTA 2016 from the 
Scout Camporee at Sears Bellows County Park on Long Island, New York. A 
few minutes after this picture was taken, several of the boys enjoyed a 
radio contact with Scouts at V55JOTA in Namibia. [L.B. Schaefer, photo]*

"It's your perfect opportunity to share your stories, photos, and some 
numbers," JOTA Coordinator Jim Wilson, K5ND, said. "The reports I've 
seen so far show some good turnout, particularly from Cub Scouts. We 
feel this is due to the new requirement for the Arrow of Light Award 
that asks Scouts to participate in JOTA-JOTI [Jamboree On The Internet]. 
This is also no doubt responsible for the big increase in JOTI 
registrations in the US, from roughly 100 last year to what looks like 
close to 500 this year."

Reports are due by November 1. Every station that files a report will be 
entered into a drawing for an Icom ID-51A Plus dual-band handheld 
transceiver and will receive a 2016 Jamboree On The Air certificate. 
Only Boy Scouts of America stations are eligible.

"Worldwide we had 11,534 register for the event," Wilson said, adding 
that a rough estimate indicated 800 US registrations and nearly 300 of 
those indicating Amateur Radio call signs. If that number holds, he 
said, it would indicate a dip in JOTA participation from 2015, when 346 
turned out. "Some of that [in 2015] could have been due to the 
complexity of the registration system," he allowed. "I assure you that 
the reporting system now is much simpler.

Wilson said the US JOTA 2016 Report should be out in early December. 
Read more <http://www.arrl.org/news/time-to-file-your-jota-station-report>.

ARES/RACES Featured at Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference

For the third year in a row, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the 
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (ARES/RACES) were a featured 
component of the largest gathering of tribal disaster preparedness, 
recovery, hazard mitigation, and homeland security professionals in the 
US. The annual conference, held in mid-September, was organized by the 
National Tribal Emergency Management Council <http://ntemc.org> and 
hosted by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe <http://www.tachi-yokut-nsn.gov> at 
their Santa Rosa Rancheria in Lemoore, California. Radio amateurs were 
prominent among the conference presenters. Two ARRL San Joaquin Valley 
(SJV) Section groups, Fresno ARES/RACES <http://fcemcomm.org>and Tulare 
County ARES, pooled resources and set up special event station N8V, with 
multiple operating positions, on the lawn adjacent to the conference hotel.

"Many conference attendees stopped by to view the display," SJV Section 
Emergency Coordinator Hal Clover, AD9HC, recounted. "Radiograms home 
were offered with several being sent via operators at the event."

Throughout the week, many tribe members visited the special event 
station, picked up ARRL literature, and discussed building a stronger 
Amateur Radio presence within their tribes -- both as a way to support 
their emergency and disaster preparedness and to bring their communities 
together.

NTEMC Chairman Richard Broncheau, KG7NRJ, welcomed attendees on opening 
day, September 21, and NTEMC Executive Director Lynda Zambrano, KE7RWG, 
provided a NTEMC "Year in Review." Later in the day, Adam Geisler, 
KJ6YHN, of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, was a panelist at an 
open forum, "FirstNet <http://firstnet.gov> Unscripted," about the First 
Responder Network Authority.

Breakout sessions on September 21 and 22 included a presentation on the 
National Tribal Amateur Radio Association by Nathan Nixon, N7NAN, Public 
Safety Programs Director with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona; 
"FirstNet <http://firstnet.gov>'s Second Steps: Real world applications 
for tribal emergency response," with Geisler and Rita Mooney, KG5JAT, 
Texas Department of Public Safety among the panelists; "Introduction to 
CAMEO <https://www.epa.gov/cameo/what-cameo-software-suite>," a free 
suite of applications for planning and responding to chemical 
emergencies, with Elisa Roper, KM4BUG, Tribal Liaison with FEMA Region 
IV, and Al Finkelstein; and "Administration for Children and Family 
Services -- IDCM," with Wendi Ellis, KK6WQO, Regional Emergency 
Management Specialist in FEMA Region IX, and Stephen Miller as presenters.

Nixon co-hosted a presentation, "Join us for our First Tribal Coast to 
Coast Exercise." Simulated emergency messages for an earthquake scenario 
were sent via Amateur Radio from the conference special event station to 
FEMA Region II in New York.

Another breakout session, "A Conversation: Increasing Tribal Human 
Services Preparedness," was hosted by Suzanne Everson, KI7EGE, Regional 
Emergency Management Specialist, Administration for Children and 
Families. Read more 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-races-featured-at-joint-tribal-emergency-management-conference>. 
/-- Thanks to Steve Aberle, WA7PTM, Washington Assistant State RACES 
Officer (Tribal Liaison) via the /ARRL ARES E-Letter 
<http://www.arrl.org/ares-el>

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, HS1A, SK

Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), HS1A, died on October 13, after 
a long period of declining health. Born in Massachusetts while his 
physician father was at Harvard University, the king, whose name 
translates as "strength of the land, incomparable power," was 88. Noted 
DXer Fred Laun, K3ZO/HSØZAR, said the king was never very active on the 
air, and mostly operated using a handheld on 2-meter FM. The king also 
enjoyed photography and jazz, and played the saxophone.

The king was the patron of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST), 
the country's IARU member society. According to RAST, the king was 
"presented the call sign HS1A by the Ministry of Communications" in a 
1989 ceremony. He was the world's longest-reigning monarch. /-- Thanks 
to /The Daily DX/and other media outlets/

Getting It Right!

The first sentence of the article "Current Rules Holding Hams Back from 
Adopting State-of-the-Art Technology, ARRL Says," in the October 13, 
2016, edition of /The ARRL Letter/, should have said: "In comments 
<https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/1011120327463/document/1011120327463a567> 
filed on October 12 with the FCC, ARRL reiterated its case that the FCC 
should change the Part 97 rules both to delete the symbol rate limits in 
Section 97.307(f) and replace them with a maximum bandwidth for data 
emissions of 2.8 kHz on amateur frequencies below 29.7 MHz." We 
apologize for the error.

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In Brief...

*Ambarish Nag "Raju" Biswas, VU2JFA.*

*Report **/-- /Radio Amateurs in India Monitoring "Highly Suspicious" 
VHF Communications:* Authorities in India have asked radio amateurs 
along the Bengal-Bangladesh border to monitor strange VHF radio 
transmissions that one of them has called "highly suspicious." According 
to an article 
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/terror-chatter-ham-users-track-unauthorised-radio-communications-on-bengal-bangla-borders/story-7r9cy5NnvJhLpmHxygAn6N.html> 
in the /Hindustan Times/, the signals were being heard in the dead of 
night, with participants said to be in motion and speaking in some sort 
of code. "After we wrote a letter highlighting the strange signals to 
the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, we were called 
in for a meeting by officials of the international monitoring station in 
Kolkata on September 22," recounted Ambarish Nag "Raju" Biswas, VU2JFA, 
the secretary of the West Bengal Amateur Radio Club 
<http://wbradioclub.in/>, in the report. The newspaper account said that 
when the Bengal hams attempted to contact the suspicious stations, the 
operators briefly quit transmitting. "We were asked to continue the 
monitoring," the report quoted Biswas as saying. "It is a cause for 
concern for us all, since the location is close to the Bangladesh 
border, and the callers were taking in codes and words with Bangladeshi 
pronunciation." The operators, who were speaking in Bengali and Urdu, 
also used numerical codes, according to the report.

*ARRL Members with AOL **Accounts Report Problems Receiving ARRL 
E-Mailings:* Since late September, ARRL has experienced intermittent 
problems delivering bulk e-mail products, such as /The ARRL Letter/ and 
Section Updates, to member subscribers with AOL e-mail addresses. The 
problem is that AOL is not accepting all messages ARRL is sending; some 
make it through to the subscriber, and some do not. The League has open 
trouble tickets with AOL regarding this issue, but has not yet received 
any substantive responses. As a result, there is no estimated time frame 
to resolve this problem. Delivery to all other major Internet Service 
Providers continues to operate normally. If you have an AOL.com e-mail 
address and have been affected by this, ARRL suggests that you set up a 
/new/ e-mail account with another provider and change the e-mail address 
in your member profile to the new account (click on "Edit your Profile" 
on the ARRL home page, after logging in). This problem is /not/ specific 
to ARRL, as many other organizations are reporting the same problems 
with their AOL subscribers.

*Antenna Fire Puts SAQ Alexanderson Alternator Station Off the Air*: An 
early October fire 
<http://alexander.n.se/incident-on-long-wave-antenna/?lang=en> in the 
SAQ Alexanderson alternator 
<http://alexander.n.se/albert-einstein-the-alexanderson-high-frequency-alternator/> 
long-wave antenna is under investigation by the Grimeton World Heritage 
Foundation, which owns and manages the station in Grimeton, Sweden. The 
fire, attributed to arcing, was quickly extinguished, and no injuries 
occurred. The Foundation said that determining the extent of damage and 
completing repairs could take a while. "There is a risk that the 
incident will affect the planned transmissions with the long-wave 
transmitter SAQ for some time to come," a Foundation announcement said. 
The fire will keep SAQ off the air for a scheduled UN Day 
<https://undayorg.wordpress.com/> transmission on October 24. SAQ, which 
operates on 17.2 kHz, also typically schedules transmissions on 
Christmas Eve and other occasions. Built in the 1920s, the Alexanderson 
alternator -- essentially an ac generator run at extremely high speed -- 
can put out 200 kW but typically is operated at less than one-half that 
power level. Once providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is 
now a museum piece and only put on the air on special occasions.

The K7RA Solar Update

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Over the past week, October 13-19 
average daily sunspot numbers declined from 55 to 31, while average 
daily solar flux dropped from 101.9 to 83.4, compared to the 7 days 
previous.

The planetary A index increased from 6.6 to 19.1, and the average 
mid-latitude A index jumped from 5 to 14.

Compared to the previous reporting period, this is just the opposite of 
what happened 2 weeks ago, when A indices decreased, but solar flux and 
sunspot numbers rose.

The October 19 prediction for solar flux shows these values: 78 on 
October 20-21; 80, 78, and 75 on October 22-24; 80 on October 25-26; 75 
on October 27-29; 80 on October 30; 85 on October 31-November 5; 90 on 
November 6-8; 85 on October 9-11; 80 on November 12-14; 75 on November 
15-19; 70 on November 20-22; 75 on November 23-25, and 80 on November 26.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on October 20-21; 20 on October 22-23; 
36, 44, 38, and 20 on October 24-27; 15 on October 28-30; 25 on October 
31; 12 on November 1; 5 on November 2-5; 8 on November 6; 5 on November 
7-10; 10, 24, 26, 12, and 8 on November 11-15; 5 on November 16-17; 12 
and 22 on November 18-19; 35 on November 20-22; 20 on November 23; 15 on 
November 24-26; 25 on November 27; 12 on November 28, and 5 for November 
29 and beyond.

Here is an article 
<https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/proxima-centauri-surprises-with-sunspot-cycle> 
about a nearby star that seems to exhibit sunspot activity.

Sunspot numbers for October 13 through 19 were 41, 38, 35, 25, 23, 24, 
and 31, with a mean of 31. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 95.3, 92.8, 
84.9, 80.9, 76.2, 77.4, and 76.5, with a mean of 83.4. Estimated 
planetary A indices were 43, 24, 11, 18, 20, 11, and 7, with a mean of 
19.1. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 30, 20, 8, 13, 12, 10, and 
5, with a mean of 14.

This weekly Solar Update in /The ARRL Letter/ is a preview of the 
Propagation Bulletin issued each Friday. The latest bulletin and an 
archive <http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation> of past 
propagation bulletins is on the ARRL website.

Send <mailto:k7ra at arrl.net> me your reports and observations.

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Just Ahead in Radiosport

  *

    October 22-23 -- *ARRL EME Contest*
    <http://www.arrl.org/eme-contest-1> (CW, phone, digital)

  *

    October 22-23 -- UK/EI DX Contest (SSB)

  *

    October 22-23 -- Stew Perry Topband Challenge (CW)

  *

    October 26 -- SKCC Sprint (CW)

  *

    October 26 -- UKEICC 80 Meter Contest (CW)

  *

    October 27 -- RSGB 80 Meter Club Sprint (SSB)

  *

    October 29-30 -- CQ World Wide DX Contest (SSB)

See the ARRL Contest Calendar <http://www.arrl.org/contest-calendar> for 
more information. For in-depth reporting on Amateur Radio contesting, 
subscribe to /The ARRL Contest Update/ 
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e-mail preferences.

Upcoming ARRL Section, State, and Division Conventions

  *

    October 21-22 -- Arizona State Convention <http://copahams.org/>,
    Maricopa, Arizona

  *

    October 21-22 -- Florida State Convention <http://pcars.org/>,
    Melbourne, Florida

  *

    October 22 -- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference
    <http://www.wi-aresraces.org/>, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

  *

    November 5 -- TechFest Convention <http://na0tc.org/>, Lakewood,
    Colorado

  *

    November 5-6 -- Georgia State Convention
    <http://www.stonemountainhamfest.com/>, Lawrenceville, Georgia

  *

    November 12-13 -- Indiana State Convention
    <http://www.fortwaynehamfest.com/>, Fort Wayne, Indiana

  *

    November 19 -- Alabama State Convention
    <http://www.w4ap.org/news/Hamfest.htm>, Montgomery, Alabama

  *

    December 9-10 -- West Central Florida Section Convention
    <http://www.tampabayhamfest.org/>, Plant City, Florida

  *

    January 8 -- New York City/Long Island Section Convention
    <http://hamradiouniversity.org/>, Bethpage, New York

  *

    January 14 -- TechFest 2017 Convention <http://www.techfest.info/>,
    Lawrenceville, Georgia

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    January 20-21 -- North Texas Section Convention
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  *

    January 21 -- Georgia ARES Convention <http://gaares.org/>, Forsyth,
    Georgia

  *

    January 22-28 -- QuartzFest Convention <http://quartzfest.org/>,
    Quartzsite, Arizona

  *

    January 27-28 -- Mississippi State Convention <http://msham.org/>,
    Jackson, Mississippi

  *

    January 27-29 -- Puerto Rico State Convention
    <http://www.arrlpr.org/>, Hatillo, Puerto Rico

Find conventions and hamfests in your area <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>.

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